Remembering Titanic

Belfast marked the 102nd anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic yesterday at a special ceremony held in the city hall Titanic Memorial Garden.

At 12 noon a simple ceremony was held to remember all those people – and especially the 28 men from Belfast – who lost their lives on 15 April 1912.

Aidan McMichael, Chairman of the Belfast Titanic Society lead proceedings in a wreath laying ceremony and observing a minute’s silence.

When Titanic left Belfast, on board were nine men from the Harland and Wolff Guarantee Group, led by the ship’s designer, Thomas Andrews. They were some of the shipyard’s finest employees, travelling to address any problems which may have arisen on the ship’s maiden voyage to New York.

Unfortunately, all nine men – along with some 1,500 other souls – lost their lives on the night of 15 April 1912.

Aidan McMichael, Chairman of Belfast Titanic Society said:

“The Belfast Titanic Society is once again proud, in partnership with BCC, to be associated with the annual commemoration of the loss of RMS Titanic. The tranquility of the memorial gardens continues to be wonderful opportunity for all of us, and visitors to the city, to take time out to unite and consider the human tragedy the event was, not just for relatives but for the whole city.”

The memorial – depicting the female figure of Thane looking down on two sea-nymphs rising from the waves with the body a drowned seaman in their arms – was first unveiled in June 1920, having been paid for by public subscription.

Originally located in Donegall Square North, it was moved to its present location, on the eastern side of the City Hall grounds, in March 1960. A new Titanic Memorial Garden – featuring a second memorial, with all the names of those who perished in 1912 – was opened in 2012, to mark the centenary of the disaster.